


Hey Moon

by zoeburchard



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: Emotional, F/M, Fluff, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-27 14:21:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19014649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoeburchard/pseuds/zoeburchard
Summary: A little song-fic based on Hey Moon by John Maus. It's a little story about Jughead and Betty trying to cope with all the hardships they've gone through throughout high school.I don't own any of the characters nor the city of Chicago. ;)





	Hey Moon

_I know it’s been so long_

_Since we saw each other last_

 

Jughead sat at the end of the pier on a bench that looked out upon the softly cresting waters of Lake Michigan. The glow of the moon played across the waves and drew his eyes upwards. There wasn’t a star in sight- just the large glowing orb against an eerily orange tinted night sky. 

As much as he and Archie had thought about moving with the girls to a big city to pursue their dreams, passions or even just to escape Riverdale- the city felt strangely suffocating. Despite its sprawling, endless nature, he felt claustrophobic. He recalled the plane ride over the city- the pilot had given them the grand tour, circling the entire city and gliding above the lake before landing at O’hare. On the plane he had been lucky enough to score a coveted window seat where he looked out over the Tron-like cityscape. The lights in a grid, the racing cars, the shining high rises all coming to an abrupt stop before the dark black abyss of Lake Michigan. 

And that is where Jughead Jones found himself now. Chicago was something else entirely. The murder rate in the city alone should have made him feel right at home but he was left with a dark emptiness inside. He studied the reflection of the moon across the soft waves. ‘ _Not a windy city tonight,’_ he thought. 

It had been a rough day at Archie’s mom’s funeral. Veronica, Betty and Jughead had all flown to Chicago to support their friend who would now be an orphan if he hadn’t just turned 18. It was only to be expected that they wouldn’t make it through their final year of school without at least one more death between them. They had all lost so much, so many friends and family since sophomore year. Riverdale had a way of destroying everything they loved most while at the same time miraculously not completely destroying Jughead and his closest friends. 

Sliding his beanie down from his hair, he held it between his hands looking at the planks below him. The soft, worn fabric of the hat was familiar and comforting but also a constant reminder of where he had come from. He held the hat up to his nose and inhaled deeply catching that nostalgic smell of home. It broke him just a little bit and he put the hat down on the bench next to him as he slid off his shoes and left them under the bench. Unceremoniously, he discarded his suit jacket and socks and went to work on the buttons of his black dress shirt. He didn’t mind dressing up- Betty always thought he looked so charming in a suit, but he never felt like himself. With his eyes shut, nose turned upwards he breathed in as much of that crisp night air as he could carry in his lungs. His hands began to shake as he reached the last few buttons. He tried desperately to focus on the one task he had set his mind to, which normally wouldn’t be a problem, but somehow he couldn’t manage it and that was the last straw. It was too much. High school was supposed to be a mess of sports, shitty classes, tests, messy friendships, delicious milkshakes, sneaking out of the house, secretly making out, and stupid school dances. But for Jughead, Betty, Veronica and Archie their high school experience was peppered with death, murder, drugs, prison, gangs, torture and cults. Everything teenagers shouldn’t have to experience. 

Jughead wasn’t one for crying but this thought that him and his friends’ high school lives had been completely destroyed by the craziness that had ensued in Riverdale over the last three years left him beyond repair. He always held his head up and stayed strong for himself, for his father, for his friends. They were all each other’s rocks, but Jughead had never taken the time to process all the pain and suffering they had gone through. 

He gave up on the last few buttons as he began to cry and pulled the shirt apart popping the buttons off into the water. The black fabric fell from his body near where his other clothes were discarded and removed his black trousers eyes connecting once again with the waves. As silent tears escaped, he inwardly laughed at how ridiculous this all was. His emotional response to the whole situation was so outside of the normal, but he wanted to feel something that wasn’t sadness or pain for a moment. This was the only way he could think to cope, the best way to _feel_ anything right now. 

“Jug?” Came a quiet voice from behind him.

 

_I’m sure we’ll find a way_

_To make the time pass_

 

He stared into the water- almost completely naked- for one more moment before turning to meet Betty’s concerned eyes. She was the brightest light in his life and had carried him through all of this as he had carried her.

“Jug- what are you doing out here?” She said crossing her arms over her chest, rubbing her hands slowly up and down her own arms to send off the cold. He watched her approach him with soft footsteps. He saw her eyes take stock of his current state of undress and she only looked more worried. 

When she reached him she instinctively ran her hands up and down his arms in hopes of warming his cold skin, “It’s cold out tonight.” Her voice was quiet and sweet. 

“I’m going for a swim, Betts. Do you want to join me?” His face was the picture of calm but his eyes told a different story. Goose bumps spread across Betty’s body as she looked from his cold blue eyes to the dark black water below. “Come with me.” 

Gently his hand found her cheek and he soaked in the warmth of her skin. He drew her forehead to his and choked out a quiet _please._

As she leaned her cheek into his hand she gently pulled back enough to make eye contact and nodded.

Jughead unzipped the back of her black dress and she stepped out of it, leaving it in a pile with the rest of his clothing. He dropped down to a knee and undid the straps of her small heels then stood once more. Just slightly shorter than before, he looked ever so slightly down toward her. As if they had done this a thousand times, they reached their hands out towards each other and held on as though they might fall through the dock into a black hole and lose each other forever. 

His thumbs rubbed the backs of her hands and she brought her eyes up to meet his. People don’t look deeply into each other’s eyes very often. They look when they are seeking answers, they look when they need or want something, they look to console- but rarely do people just look to understand, engage and experience the other person. That’s what they did. Jughead and Betty wanted nothing from each other but to understand what was happening to them and to process the grief that never seemed to end. Jug felt a tug on his soul and turned back towards the water, letting one hand drop to his side. The glow of the moon across the water called his soul and spoke to him in some kind of way about life and what it meant to be alive. _I want to be alive._

So he and Betty would dive in and find a way to feel alive. Betty watched Jughead’s eyes scan the water and look up, the light reflecting off the moon caressing his face in the softest way possible. She turned towards the lake. Holding hands, they took a step and jumped in. 

 

_Hey Moon,_

_It’s just you and me tonight_

_Everyone else is asleep_

_Hey Moon,_

_If I was to fall_

_I would fall so deep_

 

The lovers let themselves fall down, gravity pulling them toward the bottom of the lake. They stared out into the eerie water before them. The moon glow illuminated the water and all the particles floating around danced like beautifully submerged glitter in a snow globe. Light shown through the water in a way they hadn’t expected, hadn’t dreamed of and couldn’t have needed more. It felt like a mythical land under the water. The oxygen they no longer needed floated back to the surface without them- illuminated bubbles that danced and popped all around.

As their bodies began to rise, Jughead pulled Betty into him and they breached the surface desperately inhaling the night air, lungs grateful for the gift. They let their pale forms float atop the gentle water, their heads together, bodies floating in opposite directions.

Jughead wanted to memorize the feeling of water lapping at his sides. It was a firm but careful touch with a pleasant sound that pushed all thoughts of Riverdale out of his mind. The waves carried his mind away from him, carried away everything that had transpired in that small town, and put him in a beautiful innocent space where he could be just another kid trying to graduate, get into a good college and make a life for himself. The waves made the world simpler. 

Then he could feel Betty’s hair softly brushing his shoulder under the water. This was another welcome sensation. Her hand found his as they stared at the orange sky where a deep navy blue should be. “What if it all had been different, Betty?” He inhaled sharply then sighed out in jagged breaths. “If Jason had never been murdered, no black hood, no Gargoyle King, no dead parents or murdered parents, no Serpents or Pretty Poisons?” He didn’t know what he was looking for here. It all just came out.

The moon held the pair in a loving embrace, their pale skin shown beneath the water like a nightlight. If they could have looked down upon themselves it would have been the most beautiful picture- their bright, illuminated bodies against the dark surface of the water. It might remind them of more innocent summers passed. Those summers had been filled with merriment and joy- decidedly lacking at this particular space in time. 

“I don’t know, Jug. I suppose everything would be different…”

“ **Everything,** Betty.” He let his legs fall back down into the water, floating no more, but treading the cold liquid- as he’d been doing for so long. He pulled Betty to face him and she wrapped her legs around his waist, arms loosely laid across his shoulders, hands playing with the wet curls at the back of his neck. “Everything. You, me- Archie would still be having a love affair with a teacher for god’s sake. My dad would still be a drunk mess and JB never would have come home.” He paused again, this time looking at her with a pained expression. “But you would still have your family, Betts. Your dad, Polly, the twins.”

She kissed his brow and felt the muscles relax under her lips. “You are my family, Jughead. And this is what life is, I guess. A whole mess of craziness that leads to love and pain and _this_.” She gestured to the water around them.

She noticed something change in his face just then. “To two seventeen year olds angstily swimming in arguably the dirtiest lake I can think of?” For the first time that night he smiled his half smile and Betty let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding in. 

 

_Though I doubt I’m gonna_

_You can wake me up if you wanna_

 

Jughead’s arms around Betty’s lower back tightened pressing her flat against his chest. Looking up at her with thirsty eyes he kissed her suddenly feeling warm in the reflected light of the moon. He reveled in the feeling of skin against skin. He touched every inch of her back, running gentle hands up her sides lightly brushing against the front of her bra. Her legs tightened around him bringing her impossibly closer, skin tight together. 

They had slept together countless times but in this moment that was so raw and intimate their skin felt like fire together, surrounded by the ice cold moonlit lake that was doing its best to wash away years of pain. 

Her hands played in his wet hair as they kissed. As his hands traced the curves of her body she felt how badly he needed this intimacy, this moment. He needed the comfort of her warm body, the startling reality of cold water tracing his skin, and the light that fell over his dark locks, brushing his cheek telling them both it was nighttime despite the color of the sky. It was a sweet relief from the harshness of day.

She pulled back slowly- his eyes meeting hers as if to ask why. Holding his face gently in her hands she smiled a small kind smile. 

 

_And your pale round face_

_Makes me feel at home in any place_

_I would happen to be_

_At a quarter past three_

 

His mouth parted slightly as he studied that smile. He knew she didn’t fully understand his need to jump into Lake Michigan at midnight after Mrs. Andrews’ funeral. Their friends were at a bar getting shit-faced but Jughead had never been one for crowds and his friends understood that. He also knew Betty didn’t need to fully understand- she had her ways of coping with the suffering they had all endured that he didn’t fully understand and that was one of the beautiful parts of what they had. While they didn’t always understand the reasons, they fully supported each other’s explorations and unique ways of navigating the dark waters of mental health. Betty was aware there were parts of Jughead that might remain closed off- even to her- perhaps forever and that was okay. He let her in more than any other person, he trusted her, and that was enough. 

She was his home and he was hers. As awful as it felt to think, he was cautiously grateful for all this misfortune that had befallen Riverdale and his friends as it had brought them all together. Every twist of fate brought Archie, Veronica, Betty and Jughead closer and closer- most importantly, it had brought him and Betty together.

Archie, Betty and Jughead grew up together but until that fateful day when Jason Blossom’s body was discovered and Betty became the self appointed Nancy Drew of the school, there had been nothing but platonic friendship between them. He had never loved anyone the way he loved Betty, or even been attracted to anyone the way he was to Betty. Jughead couldn’t imagine life without her.

“Jug, we’re turning into prunes. And we’re definitely going to get sick if we stay in much longer.” He felt her body shiver against his and realized he must have gone numb to the cold. 

She released her legs from his waist, took his hands and pulled him through the water back to the dock. 

“Okay, Betty Cooper.” He looked over his shoulder at the moon with a grateful feeling in his heart. A cloud was making its way to cover up the great white face of the giant celestial rock. 

“Jug, give me a boost?” Her perfect face smiled down at him as she made to grab the wooden edge of the dock. With his hands firmly on her ass he hoisted her up as she pulled her weight up and over on to dry land. Quickly he jumped out after her procuring his black dress shirt while she wrung the water out of her hair. He wrapped his shirt across her shoulders and she shivered at the soft touch of the fabric. As she pulled her arms through the sleeves he shook out his own wet locks and replaced his beanie where it belonged. One curl fell down across his forehead. Betty turned to face him and smiled his favorite crooked smile seeing him stand before her in boxers and his iconic hat. His eyes were brighter- their swim had done some good, but there was still a broken piece of him that she recognized as the same brokenness within her. Something they both knew would last for many years.

 

_The moon chased_

_The sun out of the sky_

_Goodbye, Sun_

_The night’s begun._

 

She couldn’t have looked more beautiful standing before him, her black undergarments peeking out of his oversized black dress shirt. She was the very picture of beauty. But it wouldn’t do in the city. He stepped toward her and, far more deftly than before, closed all the buttons save for the last two that had gone for an eternal swim. After placing his jacket around her shoulders for extra warmth, he collected the rest of the clothes and his own shoes in his hands and Betty secured her heels to her feet. 

“Are you walking back to the hotel like that, Juggy?” She asked, a mischievous grin playing at her lips. 

“You know, Betty Cooper? I think I might do just that!” He confidently linked his arm with hers as they paraded into the night, indecent, but so much lighter than they had been. They were one hell of a site to any passerby as they walked down the pier towards Illinois Street.

 

_The moon chased_

_The sun out of the sky_

_Goodbye, Sunshine_

_The night is mine_

 

A high pitched series of metal sounds reached their ears and they looked at each other with excitement. As they continued down the road they came across a man under Lakeshore Drive playing a xylophone wearing a top hat, filthy tail coat, and jeans with so many holes there were more holes than actual jeans. His face was kind if not rugged. A large mural of beautiful African American faces seemed to dance to the haunting music. While it was not well played, it was the most appropriate sound Jughead could imagine in the moment. Betty cocked and eyebrow at the man, then at Jughead who eagerly took her hand and began to dance with her. 

For all they knew, they were at the Met Gala twirling amongst the stars under Anna Wintour’s watchful gaze. Jughead spun Betty, her arms and legs moving gracefully around him. He took both her hands in his, moving rhythmically in circles before dipping her so close to the ground her hair almost touched the pavement. Here he kissed her lightly on the nose before bringing her back up. 

Betty laughed at his odd behavior but dug into the pocket of his coat, pulling out a dollar and tossing it in the musicians coffee can. The man tipped his hat at the couple who nodded to him before going on their way. 

 

_Hey Moon_

_It’s just you and me tonight_

_Everyone else is asleep_

 

And in the most Jughead way imaginable he said “I’m starving!” It was so normal, so typical of him and she was grateful for a moment she recognized.

“Look, Jug. Walgreens. It’s not Pops and they probably don’t have milkshakes or hamburgers, but at least it’s open.”

“That it is, Betty Cooper. Let’s go!” 

As they strode through the door the bright white lights hit them square in the face making them cringe for a moment before a commanding whistle broke their daze. 

They noticed an androgynous clerk searching for eye contact. As soon as the clerk was granted said eye contact, they were greeted with another whistle with a hand gesturing to a sign accompanied by a thumbs down. 

‘No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service’

Jughead smiled a wry smile dropping his dress shoes and sliding them on without bothering to tie the laces. He reached into Betty’s arms and claimed her black dress that remained unzipped at the back. Swiftly he slid the garment over his torso. It barely fit, but just enough to cover up his naked chest and plaid boxer shorts with just the hem sticking out beneath. It was nothing if not a bold fashion statement. 

He struck a pose (he’d surely seen on television) just for the clerk who whistled in approval and gave a thumbs up! Jughead emphatically returned the thumbs up while Betty tried to stifle her laughter by burying her face in his arm. 

“I gotta say, you look pretty dashing, Jug.” She could barely get the words out of her mouth without laughing. 

He grinned, waggled his eye brows suggestively towards her and said, “Damn right.”

They obtained 3 bags of chips, two roast beef sandwiches, a couple KitKats, and a big bottle of chocolate milk (next best thing to a chocolate milkshake)- and that was just for Jughead. Betty procured a small bag of sour patch kids and they made their way to the check out register. 

“Good evening,” Jughead greeted. The clerk.whistled back in the same tone. Betty and Jughead exchanged a quick quizzical glance. “How’s it going tonight?” He asked out of sheer curiosity as to the response he might receive. 

As they scanned the items one by one a whistle followed that seemed to say ‘good’ and a questioning whistle came next asking ‘and you?’

Jughead tried to hold back a curious smile as the clerk whistled to him to either insert a credit card or pay with cash. Though the clerk used no words, it was easy to understand. 

“This night couldn’t possibly get any more interesting,” he responded respectfully. 

As they left they said ‘good night’ in unison and as expected a kind whistle saying ‘good night’ was returned. The two kids waved and left. 

“Well that was something,” Betty laughed. 

Jughead made a two toned whistle to say ‘indeed’ and they laughed together soaking in the strange experience they were having. 

As Jughead moved to pull a bag of chips out of the sack of food Betty stopped him. “My dress, Jughead. It might be time for you to wear your own clothes.”

“If you insist, my lady.” He bowed lightly to her. 

 

_Hey Moon_

_If I was to fall_

_I would fall so deep_

 

Clothed more appropriately in his own trousers, jacket and tied shoes with Betty wearing her own dress with his shirt draped around her to keep her arms from the cold, they continued down the street, cars whizzing past them, j-walking at almost every intersection.

Jughead slid his arm around her waist while eating a sandwich with his other hand. He pulled her in tight to let her know he never wanted to be apart. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine a love like this. He had never even had a crush before Betty. The only other girl he had kissed (besides Veronica that one time) had been Toni- a kiss born of sheer loneliness and heartbreak after Betty had been forced to leave him by the Black Hood. 

He couldn’t believe how fast his relationship with Betty had happened. The first time he realized there might be more to Betty Cooper than he had experienced throughout childhood had been the night he first met Veronica at Pop’s. Betty still wasn’t over Archie, but she looked at him and his best friend with those big, beautiful sad eyes and Jughead felt that spark in the pit of his stomach. He talked a little faster and smiled a little brighter that night. 

The day he decided he was going to kiss her for the first time, when he crawled through her window to avoid the wrath of Alice- he remembered formulating sentences, trying to console her, but he couldn’t recall how. It was all a blur. All he saw were those lips, those eyes. He had fully planned to ask if he could kiss her, but the words wouldn’t come so his body took the reins and did what he had been dying to do for days. 

 

_Though I doubt I’m gonna_

_You can wake me up if you wanna_

 

“Betty.” He stopped walking and she spun to face him, skirt swishing around her legs. 

“Jughead.” His name didn’t sound so crazy coming from her lips.

“Betty, we’re alive. We’re alive!” With a passion that hadn’t been there before he placed his hands on her shoulders sliding them up to gently caress the sides of her neck. “We’re alive! It’s not over for us yet. We get to go on. You, me, Archie, Veronica. We get to keep going and find a way to make this dark world beautiful, find a way to make our own lives worth living.” He inhaled and looked up into the looming orange clouds. He stepped closer, looking back down at her porcelain face, bright eyes shining up at him. “You make my life worth living, Betty Cooper.”

Their lips met and it felt like the first time again. Like they had never kissed before and might never kiss again. It was perfect, soft and passionate. He was overcome with joy and he picked her up by the waist and spun her around. Before he placed her back on solid ground she pulled back and held his face in her hands this time. With a wide smile she said, “And you make my life worth living, Jughead Jones.”

Her toes touched the ground and the idea struck, “Let’s go to the park.”

This night had been the most wild ride of every emotion and Jughead felt drunk on it all. She was reading his mind. Thoughts of the hotel long forgotten, he scooped her up in his arms and turned back towards Columbus Avenue to seek out Millennium Park.“We’ll be wild ruffian teenagers wreaking havoc at every turn.” He kissed her forehead, she wrapped her arms around his neck. They both felt so alive.

Moments later- “Betty- bad news. I’m not Archie therefore not actually strong. I’m the brains not the braun.” He put her down and she grabbed his hand. 

“Okay, brains. Can you run?” She ran out into the middle of Columbus, Jughead running next to her. As they moved, letting the cold air play against their skin, it seemed as though all the beautiful and wild outcasts and misfits the world rose up and ran beside them- screaming, chanting, singing and dancing. This night was theirs, this world was theirs and no amount of death and destruction could take this night away from Jughead, Betty and all the beautiful lost souls that sought the comfort of the moon this lonely night.

Jughead began to yell into the night. Betty felt it deep in her soul, the freedom that he longed for, that he was trying to express and she screamed into the darkness with him. It was an incredible sound- a weighted sound that carried through the tunnel. It struck every pebble, every wall- it pierced the darkness seeming to emanate light as if they were the sun.

As they exited the Columbus tunnel coming out the other side everything faded into a peaceful silence that held almost more power than the act of creating sound had. Everything seemed in slow motion, the street lights became a blur of energy around them.

 

_I would hate for you to hang there alone_

_The whole night through_

 

The stage was small compared to the metal monoliths that seemed to grow out of the back and top of the stage. As if the whole thing was a giant metallic garden, cold but alive. The twisted metal surrounding the stage was dark and looming in the early morning night but had a faint glow that made it seem larger than life. The pair ran through the red seating area and Betty made it to the stage first. There are few things as enticing as an entirely empty stage with a beautiful imaginary audience. 

“Romeo, Romeo- wherefore art thou Romeo!” Betty shouted into the audience.

Jughead appeared on the stage across from her, “Fair Juliet!” He held her close. What seemed like hours passed like this- him holding her gently and desperately.

“Betty, let’s have a better story than that. Maybe not kill ourselves in the name of love.”

“Our story is already better than that, Juggy.”

They stood together on that stage, Betty’s arms wrapped around Jughead’s waist under his open suit jacket. The feeling of skin against skin was once again intoxicating to him. 

“You’re right, Betty. Our story is a better one. Better than I could write, better than Shakespeare could write. Our story is the perfect poetry. It’s the right balance of you and me and I can’t imagine living this life, writing this story, with anyone but you. I love you, Betty Cooper.”

“I love you, Jughead.”

The crack of dawn had broken through the darkness as light began to fill out the sky above. Together they watched the orange glow fade to pink, to blue, to gold and they both felt hopeful. 

 

_Hey Moon_

_My old friend_

_Hey Moon_

_The night is coming to an end_

_Hey Moon_

_Come back soon_

 


End file.
